Sticks and Stones
by Lilypad Writer
Summary: Eighteen years after the final battle against the Eggman Empire the heroes have left each other to pursue normal lives under assigned code names. Amy Rose, now a full grown woman, has become a police officer who has been labeled 'psychopath' by her co-workers for her merciless execution of projects and emotional indifference. Alone, she wallows in pain. However she is never alone.


**Hey! This is Lily Pad or Lily for short! This is my first story so I would really like it if you guys could read and review it. I know this first chapter is a little confusing but it's only the introduction and I promise everything will make sense in the second chapter. Thanks for giving my story shot! Enjoy!**

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Sticks and Stones

She was rock hard. Everyone in the police depatment knew it. Most officers joined for the heroism, the adventure and to help their fellow people, whether they were anthropomorphic or human didn't matter. She, however was different. She joined for the hunt. She took pleasure in watching a man break down in tears during an interrogation and watching the fear in her suspects eyes. Well, she took as much pleasure in it as she could take considering the fact that she was heartless. She had never cried during a case. Not even the time she had to rip a new born out of his mother's arms. She lacked the capacity to feel others pain.

Who is was this stone cold woman. She was known as Detective Amanda Pink. The name surprisingly fit her, despite the fact that no one would incorporate her personality with the name Pink she was in fact pink in color. In fact, outwordly, one would could easily mistake her for having a playful almost pixie like personality. She was a petite, pink hedgehog with short quills that layed down in a more echidna-like style and her movements were naturally graceful. But, alas, it has been proven by many people, including herself, that looks can be deceiving. No one could mess with Detective Pink. She was as strong as she was undemenstrative of emotion.

Despite all these factors that might disinhearten anyone who might be assigned as a rookie partner to Detective Pink the young and newly promoted Gary had a more opptimistic way of looking at it. He was sure that there was flesh and blood under her cold exterior, or else why would she be a police officer? Gary, although admirable, was so very wrong.

"Hello, Amy," Gary greeted her, holding out his hand as an offer of freindship.

Amanda took one look at the man's , no, boy's hand and decided to ignore it.

"My name is not Amy, it's Amanda." She spoke in a monotone, indifferent voice. "But you _will_ call me Detective Pink."

Without another word she ushered him into her office. There were two desks facing each other at either side of the room. The empty one, Gary Johnson presumed, was his, and the neat one was hers.

Amanda sat down at her desk and began to write with one hand while the other pulled a file from a drawer and handed to her partner.

"We will have a meeting on this case in exactly ten minutes with the chief and Detective McGuinty, so breif yourself."

Gary took a step towards his desk.

"No," Amanda said, still writing something, "you must arrange a different place for yourself to sit because I will not share an office space."

Gary looked over at Amanda, still planted in the spot.

The woman looked up with an unreadable expression. "Is there a problem?"

Gary opened his mouth to protest but decided otherwise. Amanda's blank expressions and thoughtful yet impassive way of speaking sent chills through him and reminded him of his few encounters with psychopaths.

"Yes, Detective Pink."

"Good boy," was her belittling response.

"How'd it go?" a woman asked Gary after he had left what was supposedly _his_ office.

"Well," he chuckled, "it could have gone better.

The woman gave him an empathetic, knowing smile, "Yeah, she's a softy, ain't she?"

He could only laugh at the perfect application of thw woman's sarcasm.

"I'm Detective McGuinty, but you can call me Tanya," she reached out for a friendly handshake and Gary heartily accepted her gesture.

"So we're working with you on a case?" he inquired.

"Oh, yes," Tanya giggled, "Sorry, I suppose you'll need a proper breifing. Come into my office, and, while you're at it, move your things in. I got a feeling that you need a work space."

Gary smiled and followed Tanya away.

* * *

It had been about ten minutes since the encounter. Detective Pink was the first person in the meeting room, the rest were late by a minute and a half, she observed. She did not mind, however. To her this meeting was simply a formality. She knew who had killed the six-year-old chipmunk girl in her sleep. She almost considered not coming except for the fact that she needed to inform her slower co-workers.

She swore under her breath as more time passed. It had been half another thirty seconds meaning they were now two minutes late. She honestly hated being alone for so long with out something to occupy her mind. It was the only thing she passionately avoided, not that anyone knew that. If she was working it was fine but if their was nothing to do she would reflect, like anyone else. However, she had learned ever since she left _that place_ fifteen years ago that reflection was her enemy. No matter what, she should not, could not reflect on her past.

"Are you ready?" Tanya asked as she walked in with Gary following closely.

"You're late," Amanda reminded her fellow detective while looking across the room at a spot of imperfection on the wall's paint job.

"Are you ready?" Tanya repeated her question impatiently.

"I suppose," Amanda sighed.

"Good well my theory is that—"

"You think Mr. Chipmunk killed his daughter during a drunken rage against his wife," Amanda interupted Tanya, "but you're wrong, as always."

Gary wanted to speak out against Amanda's disrespect but was curious as to what Amanda, the cold yet extremely sucessful detective, thought.

"Miss Chipmunk did it."

"You think a mother would murder her own child?" Tanya questioned the other woman. "That's an awfully big accusation."

"Look at this," Amanda said as she slid a file across the smooth metallic surface of the table.

Gary read first and made a descisive conclusion that Amanda was correct and then handed ot to Tanya.

Tanya sat across from Amanda in the steel chair and covered her mouth, dropping the file.

"I believe you are correct," Tanya admitted.

"Then why are you so distraught?"

Tanya looked up at her coldly, "I'm greiving the loss of a child by her mother's hand."

Amanda only huffed.

"Go on and greive," she scoffed, "Mr. Johnson, we're going to the Cheif for our next case."

Gary was surprised and mildly infuriated, "So soon? How could you just get over that?"

Amanda walked out the door with out a response and Gary decided it would be best to just follow.

As the two walked down a thin gray hall to reach the chief's office, Gary couldn't help but wonder what his boss was like. What kind of man would hire this cold woman to do a job that required empathy. He had to admit, she was logical but she also appeared uncaring.

Amanda knocked. "Chief!" She called.

"Come in," he called back.

The partners entered to a cozy room. It was an office that was painted with warm, cheerful colors and had a comfortable couch for guests. Amanda seated herself on the couch opposite the chief and Gary followed suit.

"Done?" the chief assumed.

Amanda simply nodded.

"Good 'cause I just got off the phone with the hospital. A residential patient in the mental health clinic going by the name of Nikki Needlemouse has locked himself in the bathroom and won't come out." The chief explained the situation. "This would be pretty standard for the nurses to deal with except for the fact that this particular patient is prone to self harm and is a recovering alcholic. They just want the police there in case he—"

"Kills himself." Amanda finnished the sentence without mercy.

The chief and Gary both flinched.

"Come on," Amanda ordered her partner.

"Wait," the chief stopped the two. "This is your job today. I want to talk to Gary."

Amanda left to get a standard uniform on and get to the hospital.

"What do you want to talk about Chief?" Gary asked.

"Well," the chief rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, "I just don't want you getting the wrong idea about Amanda. I know there are a couple rumors around the office that she's a psychopath but she isn't. She's just sick…very sick."

Gary cocked his head. He had never thought that this logical woman could possibly be unwell.

"I know its unbeleivable," the older man continued, "but it's true. You'll understand when I tell you this. Her name isn't really Amanda Pink. She's actually…" The older man couldn't finish. Whenever he remembered who his employee was his heart broke a little. Seeing _her_, the ray of sun shine snuffed out completely, made him want to lose hope.

"Her name is?" Gary prompted.

* * *

Sirens could be heard as Amanda's police car approached the hospital. People stared and pointed as she exited the vehicle and walked calmly to the scene. After being given directions by a hysteric receptionist Amanda made her way to the mental health clinic.

"Thank Chaos you're here officer," a colorful bird woman exclaimed.

"He's in here," another woman, a nurse, added, "would you like to talk to him."

"I suppose," the female hedgehog decided.

Amanda approached the door and out of habit said to the sobbing nurses, "No need to fear, Amanda Pink is here."

A bang could be heard from inside the bathroom. The hall went silent and Amanda assumed Mr. Needlemouse was dead, oh well. However the door creaked open, revealing a single, bloodshot, green eye.

"Hmm?" a small male voice answered.

Amanda recognized the sound as forced, although it was hard to conjure.

"He is mute," a nurse whispered in the detective's ear.

"Or at least he can't speak words," another, more senior nurse proclaimed. "He is not medically considered mute. He is just speechless because of his mental condition."

The blood shot eyes disappeared again behind the door as it began to close. Amanda, of cuorse would have none of that.

"You're not getting away that easily," she sighed, boredly as her foot prevented the door from closing.

Another soft noise came from the subject of interest. No one else could understand this but these muffled sounds he made were noises of inquiry and recognition. These words the woman spoke were familiar to him despite the fact that they were being used in different context. It had been a little over eighteen years since he had heard them.

The man pushed hard on the door with the kind of force that should have shattered Amanda's bones but she remained firm. He felt no response from her even though he knew that the door was causing her pain.

"I've felt worse than that," she sighed. "Now I, Amanda Pink, order you to leave that bathroom and cooperate or else I'll have to use force."

A curious on looker snickered at Amanda's use of her name.

"What do you find so amusing, ma'am?" Amanda turned her wrath on the civilian.

"No…ma'am, um, nothing I just—" she hesitated before admitting that she found it funny that the officers last name matched her fur color.

The man behind the door had no more patients. The similarities were too much to bear. He swung the door open to the horror of everyone packed in the hall and toppled on top of the officer. The force combined with his heavy weight from muscle mass winded Amanda. As the two went flying onto the ground their eyes met and a spark flew. A spark of rememberence that was now unleashed on them. This spark is what Amanda had avoided for so long and now she knew it would cause a fire that would either warm or burn her.

As the two now entertwined hedgehogs made impact with the floor they closed their eyes and remembered. From this Amy felt her flood gates break. Finally, for the first time in fifteen years she cried.

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**Thank you for reading! Don't Forget to reveiw! **

**Sincerely, Lily**


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